Getting Caught Red Handed
by Lumberjacksjill92
Summary: A short snippet of an idea I've had for a while, inspired by a backstage picture of DeForest Kelly on the set of Star Trek


McCoy took a small metal box from the drawer of his desk, flipping open the thin lid and grabbing a cigarette inside with his index and middle finger. He flicked around it backwards, setting it on the edge of his lip; his saliva grabbing the paper and making it hang loosely from his mouth. His tongue watered from the sensation. Reaching in his pocket of his Starfleet slacks, he fingered the lighter Jim had given him for his twenty-ninth birthday and brought it up to his face, lighting the cigarette and drawing in a long drag from the nicotine filled, tobacco paper roll. Leonard sighed and blew out a long stream of smoke as he brushed his thumb over the warm metal of the lighter before putting it back in his pocket. McCoy's fingers grazed his lips again as his took the cigarette from his mouth, letting it hang loosely at his side, tapping it on the edge of a 'Starfleet Academy' ashtray that he had set on the floor. He leaned back in his chair and put one arm behind his head, feeling the stress knots in his neck with his rough forearm. The quiet rustling and swishing of his light blue scrub tunic with his steady breathing and the soft crackling from the paper of his cigarette burning were the only things he heard. McCoy closed his eyes and focused on the sounds. He felt his heartbeat slow as he took another drag; getting lost in his thoughts, he began lowly and quietly humming the tune to an old Earth song; "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, Leonard shoved his boots off and propped both feet on top of his desk and licked his lips before placing the tobacco roll back in his mouth.

Suddenly the Comm buzzed and scared McCoy half to death as he dropped the cigarette onto his pant leg, it quickly burning a hole in the thin polyester, scorching the skin beneath.

"Son of a bitch!" McCoy swore as he shot out of his chair, rapidly sweeping his hands over the burning embers and trying to put them out

"McCoy?" Jims' voice rang through the small speaker on his desk

Leonard slammed his hand down on the comm button "What, Jim?!" He replied angrily, breathing heavily through his nostrils.

"Bones… You alright?" The Captain paused "I've been waiting to hear back on those reports…?"

"Shit!" He'd forgotten about those reports "yeah Jim…I uh… I'll get them to you…" Flustered, he realized that the cigarette was burning the carpet now. He hastily put a boot back on (on the wrong foot of course) and stamped out the melting fibers, squashing the rolled paper and getting bits of tobacco ground into the carpet.

Now thinking how he sounded on the comm, he knew Jim was going to come down to sickbay to personally check on him. In a flushed hurry, he picked up the butt from carpet and threw it in the bottom drawer of his desk, then putting his boots on the correct feet, he kicked the ashtray underneath a cabinet. But just before he could turn on the ventilation system for the smell, Jim came through the door.

"Bones?" Jim looked genuinely concerned before he noticed the smell, it hit his nostrils and Kirk physically recoiled at the stiffness of the stench

"Bones," He repeated

"were you…Smoking?"

"Uh, Jim…" Bones said uneasily as he bounced on his toes. His cheeks quickly got a light flush from the situation and he scrubbed the back of his neck with his hand, noticing that it smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke.

McCoy let out a sigh, knowing that he'd been got.

"Yeah, sorry Jim" he looked to the floor where it had been burned "this is just the first time you've caught me" McCoy perched on the corner of his desk and motioned for Jim to come in and sit down. "Better you catch me, rather than that pointy eared devil" he said while smirking

Bones reached out to the wall and flicked on the ventilation fans; sucking up the cigarette smoke and circulating fresh air through his small office. He sighed again, still in frustration that he got caught by the ships' captain. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on; he honestly didn't know what to say to his captain next, so he just sat in silence and waited for Jim to start lecturing him. He pushed himself up off of the corner and walked behind his desk, facing the row of shelves. Bones folded his hands behind his back, and turned back around to look Jim in the eyes.

Kirk began "Bones, I haven't seen you smoke since…"

"Jim, you have to understand…" McCoy interrupted

"Bones" Jim cut his friend off with a wave of his hand "I'm not one to judge, everyone has their vices" he smiled at the older man as he stood from where he sat and turned off the extremely noisy exhaust fan. He flinched a bit when the fan shut off, leaving him and Bones in a deafening silence. Sitting back in the chair Bones offered him, he crossed his legs and stared at his friend.

"It's just…last time when you…" Kirk pointed and tilted his head toward the ashtray that he knowingly assumed was underneath the desk "was when you were really stressed out…"

"You're not going to report me to Star Fleet are you?" Bones said as he applied more pressure between his fingers on the bridge of his nose. His headache was getting stronger by the minute as he kept speaking to Jim. McCoy tilted his head toward the ceiling in obvious pain and frustration.

"Report you?!" He paused again, worried about his friend. McCoy wasn't one to worry about Starfleet rules and regulation when it came to his own morals.

"McCoy, as far as the Captain is concerned, nothing went on in this room" He lazily gestured around the room

"Thanks Jim" Bones tapped his forehead, giving a relaxed sort of salute


End file.
